Because there are some amazing stories that have been written; plain and simple. The beauty and poetry of some of the ideas being presented is just astounding. I'm talking more about 'literature' than your standard drugstore novel, obviously. It's a great way of conveying subjective experience and showing different philosophies in action. It's a great escape from reality, but perhaps more importantly, it allows one to step into a different reality which one finds interesting. That's why I read.

I read books to better my writing, mostly. I mean, sure, I still love reading, but there's definitely an ulterior motive of self-improvement there, and if I decide a book has nothing to offer in that area, there is a pretty fair chance I'll stop reading it.

Because books unravel a world we wish we had. Some books dive deep into our imaginations where we can be free just for a moment while we turn the pages. Others inform us, and beter our understanding. I read books to inspire me to live everyday as an adventure like the character in many fictions.